Blood Taste
by Beabandit
Summary: Hinata and her team have been attacked. While coming back from a diplomatic trip, Gaara come to save her and bring her back to Konoha. But her life is still in danger...


**Hello dear readers! Please remember English is not my mother language. For your information the story is already fully written (except it's in French for the moment). Enjoy!**

Chapter 1

The vastness of the forest, the soft rustle of the leaves in the trees, the streaming of a river not so far, and green as far as the eye can see. And then? Some more green and the chirping of small birds, too much green, everywhere.

Gaara is a pure product of the desert, he likes the simplicity of the sandy extents. He prefers the crushing heat of the midday's sun to the freshness of one under wood, he prefers the infinite silence of its regions without end to the unwanted noise of all this life around him. Since days and days he crossed only rural landscapes and he has clearly enough of it. He aspires to go back at his place, in this small closed world which is the hidden village of sand.

Since he became Kazekage, Gaara hated, so to speak, each of his "so called" diplomatic trips. Useless gossips for which he has no talent. Endless banquet, note to himself he still doesn't understand the reason of those one. And he hates especially the ambient hypocrisy which reigns there. All this play-acting exasperates him.

During the years, Gaara changed a lot. He doesn't undergo any more the yoke of the one tail devil and his bloodthirsty nature gave way to the peace and to the measure of the respected leader that he became. He learnt to weave links with some persons: his sister and his brother of course but also Naruto whom he considers at the moment as a real friend. Nevertheless certain things will not change that soon.

He always disdains with so much virulence the endless babblings, and speaks only in case of absolute necessity. He doesn't like the social rituals, preferring, and by far, the solitude and even isolation. Nevertheless he loves his people and longs to become an example but often he would prefer to reach that goal without having to manage all the small problems of each.

" GAARA! "

The strong voice of his sister pulls him of his thoughts.

" What? "

" Do you Want to drink for the fourth time at least? "

He looks briefly around him, returning with difficulty to the reality. This green always, his sister who stares at him with impatience and finally Matsuri who stretches out to him generously the gourd of fresh water.

" No. Thank you "

He walks again and plunges into the list of all the things which annoyed him during this ridiculous journey in the country of waves. A trap no more and no less, to force an alliance against a marriage which he will never grant to realize. How the hell have they been able to imagine a single moment that this stupid cow and her incessant babbling could interest him. They made him do a four days trip for that, without counting three spot days which were of no use. Gaara bubbles inside.

He forces the peace to repossess his spirit, breathing profoundly until a too familiar smell invades his nostrils. He stops, his glance alert, his sand pouring of his gourd ready for the action.

" Gaara, what is it? "

He beckons in the direction of his partners to silence them, attentively listening to the slightest sound. He breathes again profoundly.

" Blood. A lot of blood. "

" Where? " Temari asks in a low voice.

" Rather close. Some miles at most. "

" Human? "

"Yes"

Gaara follow the road, diverting their route to go and inspect the neighborhood. Behind him Temari and Matsuri stay on their guards, observing the forest.

They penetrate finally into one clearing sprinkled with corpses. The grass is red of their blood. At the same moment Temari and Matsuri can feel the stifling smell of the death which grinds in these places. Gaara breathes a little more quickly, the smell of all this blood inciting still slightly his senses although Shukaku is not in him anymore He keeps in looks is seemingly unchanging impassiveness although everything around him made the urge to fight come back to life.

" Over there, somebody. "

They move on a copse of trees a little farther.

" Whoever it is, his chakra is too weak to be a threat. "

" Distrust you. "

They hear small crackles and perceive behind a wide torn away branch the silhouette of a man leaned against a trunk.

" Kiba kun? What happened? "

Temari rushes to the young shinobi half unconscious, at once joined by Matsuri. Together they provide the first care. The shoulder is disrupted and some blood flows in abundance of the right part of his thigh.

Gaara waits that he regains more consciousness before questioning him. Kiba opens with difficulty his eyes.

" Speak! What happened here? "

" We were attacked. " He blows slowly. A stream of green chakra flows from the hands of Temari and Matsuri and Kiba grimaces repeatedly. Getting his breath back he continues. " They fell on us, ronin they were very many and we were fast exceeded. They tried to separate us from Shino … As soon as the number of aggressors around Hinata and I was reduced, I rushed to help him. We realized too late that they had it after Hinata. "

" Where are your team-mates? "

" Gaara slowly, he is very weak. "

" That will do. I've been through worse " The shinobi of Konoha smiles weakly.

" Where are they? "

" As soon as I went away from Hinata, a group surrounded us. Shino was seriously injured. I managed to put him in shelters in a hidden recess a little farther. I tried then to join Hinata but they were too many. "

" Where is she? "

" I don't know … Akamaru tried to follow her. I did not see him again either since. "

" Congratulations, you made exactly the opposite of what we teach to the beginners."

" Gaara! "

Temari throws a reproachful look to his young brother, judging certainly the state of Kiba too severe and the tone of her brother too accusatory. Gaara doesn't take the consideration. He turns a little the head, observing the wood around him.

" We made what we were able to, given circumstances " adds Kiba.

" Whatever. " Strikes Gaara.

The silence falls again on the small group, for the time Matsuri and Temari, knelt down near Kiba, continues their care.

" What are we going to do? " Questions Matsuri.

Gaara thinks a short moment before answering.

" Both of you leave for Konoha, take Kiba and Shino with you. You have to be in a day in the village approximately. I will search for the kunoichi and for the dog. Wait one more day before sending reinforcements. "

Matsuri gets up abruptly. " Kazekage sama, you cannot go there on your own. We do not know how many they are. I come with you. "

" Matsuri I know what I'm doing. Temari cannot return two hurt shinobi alone. And I remind you that I did not wait to have you by my side to fight. "

The girl redden then bows. " Indeed Kazekage sama. "

" Be careful all the same. Simple ronin do not group together that way usually. All this hide something. "

" I am not stupid Temari. " He says softly to his sister. " Be on your guards too. You never can tell. "

"Haï."

" I leave you my pack, it would be a burden if I have to return them. "

Without more word Gaara sinks into copses, following the track of the blood. Behind him, Temari recovers, supporting Kiba on the shoulder. The young man moans a little. Matsuri watches Gaara go away.

" Matsuri! Let us go there. "

" Haï Senseï. "

" Kiba kun, guide us to find Shino kun, can you? "

" He is right there. " He indicates by pointing a road with one finger.

Gaara closed his eyes, being guided by the smell of the blood. All his senses on alert, incited by the slaughter. He meets the other corpses scattered as so many small pebbles to show him the road. He does not feel any more the chakra of his sister and Matsuri for at least one hour and he did not stop walking. His sand is passing by slowly of his gourd, moving at his side, ready to adorn any attack. The dead bodies become more and more numerous and the smell of the blood makes it little by little stifling. He hears suddenly the yaps of a dog, flatware by a streaming which must be quite close.

He continues carefully up to the river, masking his chakra. Akamaru turns to him in a surge, chops raised on his striking fangs. A deaf rumbling resounds. Gaara perceives a trembling silhouette behind the wide mass of fur ready to jump up on him.

" I am Gaara, Kazekage of the hidden village of the sand. "

Akamaru relaxes his tense muscles, returning his snout towards the face of the squatted girl, her head lowered towards the ground.

Gaara quickly details her, her right hand holds her jacket at the level of the stomach, she does not seem conscious, her chakra fluctuating hardly. Everything around her is bloody as well as her clothes and her hands. Her hair are wet, long locks stuck on her forehead. Farther other inanimate men are lying.

" Hyuuga Hinata? "

She does not react and Akamaru utters small plaintive groans. Gaara approaches slowly and squatted in front of her.

" Hyuuga, do you hear me? I am Gaara, my team found your team-mates, they are repatriated towards Konoha at that very moment. "

He takes Hinata by the shoulders, but she keep her head lowered, almost immovable. He pushes on his heels to get up with her. She let herself be guided.

Some blood flows on her pants, he observes her jacket, ripped by tiny needles. Doubtless poisoned darts what explains her catatonic state.

" Are you hurt? "

She does not speak, she holds simply her jacket on the stomach with hardly more strength.

" You have to let me see your wounds. "

His voice is firm, but for once he tries not to have this unpleasant tone for which his siblings often blames him.

He spreads her right hand and tries to open the jacket but the answer is immediate. Hinata raises the head, wide veins appear on her temples and a violent discharge of chakra comes to strike Gaara's side and make him move back a little. His glance betrays a brief moment his irritation.

" I want you no harm. "

Hinata gets ready for the fight, she doesn't stand on her legs but she is ready to fight. Akamaru stamps next to her.

She attacks, the knocks which she tries to give are muddled and miss strength. Annoyed, Gaara avoids without any trouble and grasps finally Hinata by her wrists. She struggles, and contorts in pain. Akamaru begins again to grumble and Gaara blocks him with his sand before he bites him.

Always battling against Hinata, Gaara addresses the dog and lets his anger show.

" I want her no harm but she is hurt and I have to take care of it. "

Finally he hastens Hinata, making her fall over on the side. He retains her fall on the ground. She accepts his domination and stretches out, losing consciousness for a moment.

" Akamaru! Go to the village of Konoha. Warn them that I found Hinata Hyuuga and that the medics have to prepare for our return, she's going to need it. "

Akamaru hesitates, he goes round in circles.

" I take care of her, you can trust me, I'll bring her back."

A barking rings then Akamaru comes to rub his snout against the cheek of the kunoichi. The following moment he dashes between the big trees and disappears.

Gaara turns his attention on Hinata. He releases her wrists which fall again on her side into the grass, then he removes his gourd. The fine grains of sand which compose it, scatter, creating a circle of dust around them.

He inspires profoundly again and with a sure gesture surround the size of Hinata with an arm to deprive her from her jacket. Hinata wakes up and roars, the forest makes silent. Gaara tries to be precise and fast to avoid her the useless sufferings and soon the jacket joins the ground, while Hinata trembles in his arms. Some blood flows abundantly of her stomach, her T-shirt is dipped. Gaara also notices that the shoulder is dislocated. In a disgusting crackle, he puts back in place Hinata's humerus then decides to tear her garment with a kunaï to avoid moving her arm again. Her shouts weaken but Gaara hears only too clearly.

His work accomplished he looks at the gaping wound which extends from the left part of her size almost up to her breast, crossing her belly. The pale skin of Hinata is covered with bruises and with multiple small wounds. He looks at her breast stained with dried blood. The skin seems so soft and so fragile that he loses concentration some seconds.

Without waiting anymore, a stream of chakra passes by his hands and recover the notch. The minutes pass but the cut does not close. He succeeds hardly in stopping the bleeding. He uses the fragments of her clothes to mop the blood which blocks his sight. The body of Hinata is shaken by violent jolts, she does not shout any more, but with her small fists she tries vainly to stop Gaara.

Little by little the blood does not flow any more. The wound is always wide open nevertheless. The medical knowledge of the young Kazekage are limited while the wounds of the heiress of the Hyuuga clan require more care.

Gaara gets his breath back, he closes eyes and concentrates his chakra, exhausted by the efforts which he has just supplied.

A hand settles on his cheek, he opens his eyelids and observes Hinata who smiles to him weakly.

" I will not survive, you don't have to work that hard .. "

Her hand slides on his cheek, wet from her blood, brushing his lips in their fall. At once the metallic flavor rushes and floods in his mouth.

" I must know if you have other wounds? "

Hinata observes him softly, he looks determined and he is not of these men one can disobey.

She sketches a movement of the head. He follows her glance and notices the tissue of her pants, burned on her thigh. Katon doubtless.

With his kunaï he tears in turn the pants which swept down on the inside of the thigh. He tears away as quickly as possible every piece, clenching teeth in each of the groans which escapes her throat.

By struggling she opened again the wound on the stomach. The blood flows even more. Gaara removes his T-shirt, ripping it in a fine band of tissue. With the improvised bandage he surrounds the small size of Hinata maintained against him. She gestures and he can feel the warm tears which slide on her cheeks to fall on his shoulder. He tightens as hardly as possible and finally the blood is contained.

He poses her back on the cold ground. The smell of Hinata's blood gives him the nausea. His excitement disappeared, annihilates by each of the shouts of agony she had.

He details calmly the small practically naked body which offers itself in his eyes. Her curves seem to him too delicate, her skin too fragile, her eyes too soft to make of her a good kunoichi. Nevertheless she was stronger than many wounded men he saw coming back from the frontline.

The burn is relatively superficial. He can doubtless look after it.

" You are ready? "

His voice does not betray him nevertheless his hand trembles briefly before settling on the warm skin. The turquoise blue eyes cross the ivory of hers, fleetingly, just the time to seize her permission.

She looks away, she concentrates on the sand which waves around them, ready to form a shield in case of an attack. Her spirit is vague and the pain numbs her senses but she sketches a frail smile. A tear slides on the end of her nose and crashes on the ground.

His chakra makes its work, not leaving any more behind than a pinkish scar.

Gaara feels literally emptied. These medical techniques asked him much more energy than he had thought of it initially. He resumes his breath.

" I am bringing you back to Konoha. "

" I know. " Her voice is hardly a rustle.

" I am going to have to carry you in my arms . If the pain is too important, say it. We will come to a halt so you can recover. "

She shakes the head weakly.

" We have to make it fast. Dressed as we are if we do not reach Konoha before night, that will complicate things. "

"Haï."

She stretches out arms towards him and catches his neck while he raises her against his chest. She snuggles up instinctively her face in the hollow of his neck. With fast steps he walks the road which returns them towards Konoha. Avoiding as much as possible the shocks which threaten to reopen the wound on the stomach. Around them the sand winds.

After several hours, Hinata fainted in his arms rather than to admit her pain.

The fatigue numbs his muscles and the twilight gains little by little the forest. They will not make it to Konoha in time. He can feel his strengths abandon him, he has to rest a little.

**A/N : Please review!**


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